Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
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PublishedNovember 15, 2017
As developers raze buildings to make room for bigger ones, some on Munjoy Hill seek a pause
Residents say the city needs time to assess the impact as larger condos replace apartments and historic structures in Portland’s booming East End.
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PublishedNovember 14, 2017
Landfill problems pile up, dimming Portland’s plan for solar array
The city is ordered to do more to secure the leaking landfill, and to stop or reverse some of the initial repairs.
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PublishedNovember 6, 2017
Portland council OKs 3-year police contracts that clear way for body cameras
City officials still need to draft a policy on how and when officers will use the technology.
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PublishedNovember 5, 2017
In small California community, rent control’s a mixed bag
While it’s helped many tenants remain in the units they’ve long called home, landlords say it hurts the overall market, with apartments becoming condos.
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PublishedOctober 22, 2017
On Peaks, horse farm caught in crossfire as newcomers buck long-held local views
A simmering feud between island neighbors has led the city of Portland to issue citations over zoning – and has put the equine refuge on alert.
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PublishedOctober 16, 2017
Portland would add Wi-Fi to lampposts as part of $8.5 million project to upgrade lighting
Switching to LED bulbs and other ‘smart cities’ technologies that allow monitoring and control of the fixtures will save the city money in the long run.
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PublishedOctober 12, 2017
Portland rally attacks rent stabilization ballot question
More than 100 people attend the event, at which landlords, real estate agents and developers highlight potential problems with the ballot question aimed at curbing rising rents.
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PublishedOctober 8, 2017
The asylee: He fled the Congo after being tortured and threatened with death
What is asylum?About the Congo His pregnant wife had already fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo when six armed men caught up to Marcel Kabongo Mafuku. They beat him and tortured him using a screwdriver, leaving Mafuku with internal injuries that would go untreated for months. They stopped torturing him long enough for one […]
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PublishedOctober 8, 2017
The undocumented immigrant: This man came here on a tourist visa 15 years ago and never left
Who is undocumented?About El Salvador He has been living and working in southern Maine for more than a decade. He pays taxes. He goes to church. But he has no legal immigration status – no citizenship, no valid visa, no green card. And that means he is constantly at risk of being discovered and removed. […]
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PublishedSeptember 18, 2017
Portland bans the display of wild and exotic animals
The City Council votes unanimously to reject the use of big cats, elephants and a wide range of other animals in circus acts.
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